Northcroft were privileged to have been involved with the National Museum of Qatar project.

Since its opening in March 2019, NMoQ has made headlines in national and international media. The project has been endorsed by Time Magazine among 2019’s 100 places to visit, and yet we know so little about its sustainability credentials. Did you know that 50% of the NMoQ’s building materials have been derived from recycled sources? Or that 98% of the waste generated during the museum’s construction had been diverted from landfills? The project has also received a 4-Star rating as per Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) – MENA’s first performance-based green certification system developed by Qatar-based Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD). And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as NMoQ boasts many more green features right from planning and design through to construction management and building operations.

Here are some key sustainability credentials achieved by the National Museum of Qatar:

• Energy efficiency
  NMoQ has benefitted from a smart low-carbon energy hierarchy to ensure energy efficiency in every step of its development. Starting from its passive design, the building’s façade is sufficiently insulated with high-performance glazing while the interiors are supplemented by thermal mass to minimize energy use for cooling purposes. The upper interlocking discs provide passive shade to protect a significant part of the façade from direct sunlight, which substantially reduces indoor cooling needs.

• Low-carbon mobility
  Providing multiple options for urban connectivity, the museum features bicycle tracks and pedestrian walkways. Encouraging mass transport as a low-carbon alternative to private vehicles, NMoQ’s precinct provides easy access to metro stations and bus stops. Furthermore, priority spaces are allocated to eco-friendly vehicles such as electric and hybrid cars. Owing to its significance in mitigating climate change, urban connectivity is one of the eight key categories of GSAS framework that investigates macro- and micro-level aspects for a multidimensional focus on sustainability.

• Drip irrigation system
  As opposed to conventional methods of watering, plants grown throughout the museum are supplied with drip irrigation system. By providing water directly to the roots, this sustainable watering method reduces the amount of water evaporated through the soil surface while also ruling out the possibility of water waste. Water supplied through drip irrigation system is retreated and reclaimed from other uses.

• Urban heat island effect
  Urban heat island effect is a term used to describe temperature differential of urban and rural areas. In contrast to the natural landscapes, cities are warmer due to modification of land surfaces and secondary heat produced from the built environment. One way to mitigate the heat island effect is introducing green roofs or light-colored facades that mimic the natural surfaces of the geographical context. This explains why NMoQ interlocking discs have been given a light color, which reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat. By default, this also means less energy consumption for indoor cooling.

• Construction management
  The construction of NMoQ has followed environmentally responsible practices. 98% of the waste, comprising approximately 58,350 tons, generated during the construction was diverted from landfills through recycling and reusing. Before the construction started, a site waste management plan was in place to segregate waste before sending them to material recovery facility. Another such program implemented during the project development stage was sedimentation and erosion control plan, which helped reduce pollution, soil erosion, waterway sedimentation, and airborne dust. To this end, some approaches included use of gravel to cover temporary pathways and prevent soil erosion and maintain dust control. Vehicles used on site were regularly washed before they left sites to enter the cities.

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